Dominican Republic: ADRA and Loma Linda University Respond to Victims of Devastating Floods

Jimani, Dominican Republic…[Libna Stevens/IAD]

After the devastating May 23 floods that swept through the town of Jimani in the Dominican Republic near the Haiti border, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has teamed up with Loma Linda University to provide assistance to more than 10,000 people left homeless. The floods claimed the lives of at least a thousand people. Many more are missing.

The government declared the farming town of Jimani a disaster, according to Silvestre Gonzalez, director of ADRA-Dominican. The area was pounded by rains, causing rivers to overflow and mudslides which covered homes and carried families away in the middle of the night.

“Initially, only helicopters were able to fly over and locate the devastated area,” he adds. Only after the flooding subsided a few days later was aid able to get to the victims.

“It’s a terribly sight,” Gonzalez says after his first visit last Thursday. “There is a terrible smell as you enter the area. There are floating bodies, and people digging for bodies in the muddy water. There are so many people in need, and we are trying to provide as much relief as we have available.”

A number of aid agencies have been assisting the victims along with ADRA, which has been coordinating efforts in Jimani to provide food, clothes and medicine. ADRA has also stationed a mobile clinic staffed with volunteers to dispense medication and offer counseling to survivors.

“One of the greatest needs here is spiritual counseling, as many victims and aid workers have been faced with the trauma of the experience,” says Gonzalez. “That is why we requested the help of the Loma Linda University trauma team.”

Wally Amundson, ADRA director for Inter-America, flew to the site May 30 with the trauma team from Loma Linda University to provide psychological assistance to the victims and aid workers in Jimani.

“The scene is horrendous,” says Amundson, who plans on surveying the devastation in Haiti this week. “The large areas [of Jimani] are covered with sand and rocks, and it means so much to have trained professionals to assist in this terrible tragedy.” According to Amundson, the team of five medical professionals is made up of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical doctors. Their help is the manifestation of a pre-funded agreement which took place two years ago between the Inter-American Division and Loma Linda University.

“Years ago, we envisioned a need for crisis counseling after a series of disasters hit our territory and left victims and aid workers exhausted and traumatized,” says Amundson. “We wanted to have a professional trauma team that could train our professionals in our territory to provide the necessary counseling after devastating disasters.”

So far, a group of medical professionals from Venezuela has also flown to Jimani to help the Loma Linda trauma team.

Miguel Angel Bermudez, a medical doctor from Venezuela, said it was very shocking to see how the area was destroyed and how many people were affected.

“We will be counseling about 120 survivors located at three nearby centers,” said Dr. Bermudez. “We are excited to have hands on training with the Loma Linda Team. This will prepare us for disasters in our own country and abroad.”

The Loma Linda trauma team will remain in Jimani until the end of the week, but will train local professionals and pastors to continue the counseling.

ADRA has provided funds for the disaster, as well as Hope for Humanity, which has an on-going partnership with Loma Linda University to assist and promote our church members to be active in the work of the church.

ADRA volunteers will remain in the area indefinitely.